The Lawrence University (Viking) women’s swimming and diving team season ended this past month in Grinnell, IA at the MWC Championships.  The Lady Vikes were a good bet for third place going into the meet, however came out with a fourth place finish following a botched relay exchange on the second day.   Additionally, injury and illness plagued the team as last years’ conference champ in the backstroke events was held out with pneumonia, and the team’s top sprinter and anchor for all the relays fell to a freak injury.  The team weathered these couple of complications rather well even though the results may not be as favorable of their efforts.  Just prior to taper when the team was at full health, Coach Kirner had his eye on a second place finish.   However as the meet approahed, expectations were more realistically set on a third place finish.   

After the first day, the Lady Vikes were in a tie for third place and feeling their strongest events were yet to come.  At the beginning of the second day of finals however, disaster struck!   Both the womens’ and mens’ 200 Medley Relays were DQed in back-to-back events.  Coach Kirner immediately pulled the womens’ team together and told his swimmers to continue to focus on doing well individually and let the “chips fall where they may.”  This approach of attempting to challenge their resolve worked fairly effectively as many swimmers posted outstanding times throughout the rest of the meet.  However in the end, the Lady Vikes were not able to make up the 22 points they had lost to the DQ and ended up 11 point short of third place.  The guy’s team fared a bit better regaining the place they lost to their DQ with a second place finish.   

Leading the Lady Vikes was freshman swimmers Jenni Hair (Hawthorne Woods, IL) and Alice Shepro (Wayne, IL) placing in the top 6 in three events each.  Jenni compiled two 2^nd place finishes in the 400 IM (4:56.60 PR {personal record}) and the 1650 free (19:00.75,PR), and adding a 5^th place finish in the 200 IM (2:20.04).  Alice turned around and followed her teammate up with two 6^th placings in the 500 free (5:27.66) and 200 free (2:02.29) and a 5^th in the 1650 free (19:12.03) all three being PRs.  Team captain Mara Sarabia (Carbondale, IL) additionally helped as the third member scoring high in the 1650 free with a 6^th place (19:17.03).  Two of the more valuable members of the team during the season were sophomore Meredith Claycomb (Sioux Falls, SD) and frosh diver Sam Heinritz (Appleton, WI).  Meredith scored a 3^rd in the 400 IM (4:57.20) and a 6^th in the 200 IM (2:20.79) both PRs. Sam meanwhile, won a bronze in the 1meter diving competition edging out last years’ conference champ and NCAA qualifier with a score of 349.20 and placed 5^th on the 3 meter board with 365.55.  Probably the biggest factor was the six other Lady Vikes (Mollie Bodin Plymouth, MN; Heather Prochnow Warrenville, IL; Marissa Valette Naperville, IL; Hannah Sobek Billings, MT; Mandy Burgess  Northfield, MN; and Cate Frazier, Green Bay, WI) who scored in the consols adding the great balance and depth to the line-up.  In fact, if the scoring was to 16 places, as is the case in even numbered years, Lawrence would have firmly settled into 3^rd place even with the DQ.  {Scoring is determined by the number of lanes of the host facility, Grinnell having only 6 lanes is forced to use 12 place scoring and when the meet is at Lawrence’s 8 lane pool during the even numbered years scoring is pumped up to 16 place scoring.}      

Women's 200 Free Relay at Conference loose and ready to compete.  

Teammates (Jenni Hair, left and Meredith Claycomb) score the silver and bronze in the 400 IM at MWCs. 

Mollie Bodin gets ready to compete in the backstroke at Wisconsin Private College Championships